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Tuesday, October 04, 2011, 02:48 pm
iPhone 4 drops to $99 while Apple makes iPhone 3GS free with contract
As was rumored, Apple has opted to keep the iPhone 3GS alive as a free phone with a new service contract, while the 2010 iPhone 4 is now $99 with a carrier subsidy.Both the $99 iPhone 4 and the free iPhone 3GS carry internal storage capacities of 8GB. The iPhone 4 is built on the custom A4 chip, while the iPhone 3GS, first released in 2009, is powered by an earlier, less-powerful ARM processor.
Both devices are still capable of running iOS 5, Apple's next generation mobile operating system, though not all of the features of the update are available for every device. The iPhone 3GS was previously sold for $49 with a two-year contract.
The 8GB iPhone 4 is a newly redesigned low-cost model from Apple. Previously the handset was only available in capacities of 16GB and 32GB, but it has been replaced at those sizes by the the new iPhone 4S, which is also available in a high-end 64GB capacity.
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Previous Comments View All
Surprised about this, figured they'd either keep the cheap 3GS shell and bump up the CPU or keep the iPhone 4 design.
Quote:
Originally Posted by neiltc13 
iPhone 3GS has been free with contract for a good couple of years now. This isn't news, other than that it is now free with contract on a couple of other carriers.
iPhone 3GS has been free with contract for a good couple of years now. This isn't news, other than that it is now free with contract on a couple of other carriers.
Not in the U.S. I guess we Americans aren't the only idiots who don't think about the rest of the world.
My question is if the iPhone 4 8GB is $99 and the iPhone 4S 16GB is $199 ... what will be the price of the current iPhone 4 models?
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlinator
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
Can the 3GS run Siri? Survey says: No. Not to viable unless you want to make calls and send texts. They keep them around because they have them in the inventory and after a few months they will quietly disappear....
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlinator
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
Uhmm, not necessarily. The iPhone 3gs is still a very good phone (ymmv) and I bet many average non techie folks will pick a free 3gs over the disposable freebie of the week that carriers shovel out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlinator
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
Actually, this is proof that the lining on your tinfoil hat needs to be a bit thicker in order to focus your iHating propaganda thoughts into a more direct beam.
Apple has a "free" iPhone for those that base everything on price, and yet whiners like you still manage to take even that story and spin it to suit your agenda.
The current iPhone4 which is still a fantastic product is $99. Can't beat that considering what one gets. What's your spin on that?
Go away troll.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hamlinator
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
By keeping the 3GS around, Apple is just acknowledging that the 4S is not the advance that everyone expected and that the 3GS is still a viable alternative.
???
How in the world did you come to that conclusion?
There are only 2 things that the iPhone 4S does not have that an iPhone 5 could have had:
1) Larger screen
2) NFC
Regd. 1, Personally (and for most people) a larger screen is crap. I understand those who would like it though, so this is fair as a disappointment.
2) Until someone finds a good use for NFC (and no, Google Wallet isn't it...at least Google's implementation is far lacking, and the infrastructure just isnt there yet) I am not going to cry about the lack of NFC.
In every other way, the iPhone 4S is significantly better, and a huge improvement over any other phone. Just the camera (which, btw, outside of music, calling and texting, is probably the most used function in a phone) is an awesome upgrade. I would have been disappointed if it was just 8MP, but that doesnt seem to be the case, since the shutter speed and light capture have all been improved.
Quote:
Originally Posted by addicted44
???
How in the world did you come to that conclusion?
There are only 2 things that the iPhone 4S does not have that an iPhone 5 could have had:
1) Larger screen
2) NFC
Regd. 1, Personally (and for most people) a larger screen is crap. I understand those who would like it though, so this is fair as a disappointment.
2) Until someone finds a good use for NFC (and no, Google Wallet isn't it...at least Google's implementation is far lacking, and the infrastructure just isnt there yet) I am not going to cry about the lack of NFC.
In every other way, the iPhone 4S is significantly better, and a huge improvement over any other phone. Just the camera (which, btw, outside of music, calling and texting, is probably the most used function in a phone) is an awesome upgrade. I would have been disappointed if it was just 8MP, but that doesnt seem to be the case, since the shutter speed and light capture have all been improved.
???
How in the world did you come to that conclusion?
There are only 2 things that the iPhone 4S does not have that an iPhone 5 could have had:
1) Larger screen
2) NFC
Regd. 1, Personally (and for most people) a larger screen is crap. I understand those who would like it though, so this is fair as a disappointment.
2) Until someone finds a good use for NFC (and no, Google Wallet isn't it...at least Google's implementation is far lacking, and the infrastructure just isnt there yet) I am not going to cry about the lack of NFC.
In every other way, the iPhone 4S is significantly better, and a huge improvement over any other phone. Just the camera (which, btw, outside of music, calling and texting, is probably the most used function in a phone) is an awesome upgrade. I would have been disappointed if it was just 8MP, but that doesnt seem to be the case, since the shutter speed and light capture have all been improved.
This is probably the most rational take on things I've seen today
Quote:
Originally Posted by lamewing
My question is if the iPhone 4 8GB is $99 and the iPhone 4S 16GB is $199 ... what will be the price of the current iPhone 4 models?
My question is if the iPhone 4 8GB is $99 and the iPhone 4S 16GB is $199 ... what will be the price of the current iPhone 4 models?
What? Obviously, effectively immediately once the channels are clear, there will only be one iPhone 4 model (8GB) available for sale.
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| Model | White | Black | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad mini (WiFi only) | |||
| 16GB WiFi |  |
$329.99 | $329.99 |
| 32GB WiFi | |
$429.99 | $429.99 |
| 64GB WiFi | |
$529.99 | $529.99 |
| iPad mini (WiFi + 4G) | |||
 |
 |
 |
|
| 16GB 4G White | $459.99 | $459.99 | $459.99 |
| 32GB 4G White | $559.99 | $559.99 | $559.99 |
| 64GB 4G White | $659.99 | $659.99 | $659.99 |
| 16GB 4G Black | $459.99 | $459.99 | $459.99 |
| 32GB 4G Black | $559.99 | $559.99 | $559.99 |
| 64GB 4G Black | $659.99 | $659.99 | $659.99 |
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iPhone 3GS has been free with contract for a good couple of years now. This isn't news, other than that it is now free with contract on a couple of other carriers.